Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

"I called the city again," Wu Xiang said, staring at the road ahead. "I'm sure no one from the municipal party committee is pressuring this matter, and no one from the municipal government is either, but the municipal agricultural commission is just sticking to it."

Yang Fan looked out the window. "This must be the provincial capital you mentioned, Secretary."

Wu Xiang was silent for a moment. "It can't be that serious. Our village cooperative, could it really alarm the provincial level?"

Yang Fan said, "Hengtong invested 60 million yuan. If someone can gain control of the cooperative, Hengtong will have to serve them!"

Wu Xiang fell silent.

The car turned onto the dirt road leading back to Qingping, bouncing the two of them from side to side. On both sides of the road, the apple trees had just finished blooming, their green apples, the size of rice grains, hidden under the leaves. In the tea garden, the tea bushes were sprouting new buds, a tender green layer covering the slope.

Wu Xiang suddenly slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "I'm speechless! Who is it? Can't they step forward? Hiding behind the Municipal Agricultural Commission, what kind of skill is that?"

Yang Fan did not respond.

He was also thinking about this question.

Whose interests are being affected by Hengtong's 60 million investment?

Fertilizer dealers like Qin Dafu only make a maximum of 100,000 to 200,000 yuan a year; it's not worth making a fuss about in the city.

Small vendors whose mountain delicacies have been centrally collected have even less power to do so.

tea?

Qingping tea is not yet in mass production, and it's nowhere to be found on the market. Even if it were to be mass-produced, producing only a few thousand kilograms a year, it wouldn't even make a ripple in the provincial tea market.

Who is that?

As the car entered Qingping, Sun Ping, the newly appointed head of the agricultural technology station, was leading people in cultivating rice seedlings in the fields on both sides of the road. Upon seeing Wu Xiang's car, he straightened up and waved. Wu Xiang honked the horn once.

In the courtyard of the township government, Zhao Dayong was squatting under a locust tree smoking when he saw the car coming in. He stood up, and the cigarette butt fell to the ground.

"Secretary Wu, Township Head Yang." He greeted them, his face not looking too good. "Three more groups of people have come today."

Wu Xiang closed the car door. "Who's there?"

"One group is from Laowangzhuang, saying the cooperative has cut off their source of income. Another group is from Lijia Kiln, saying they were forced to invest by the township and they want to withdraw their shares. And yet another group is from Yangjiagou—" Zhao Dayong paused, "and the leader is Wang Defa."

Yang Fan frowned slightly.

Wang Defa! Last year, he personally visited Wangjiaping to discuss the walnut purchase price. Later, Wang Defa not only invested in the business himself, but also helped monitor the quality of the walnuts from Wangjiaping.

"What did Wang Defa say?"

"He said—" Zhao Dayong rubbed his hands together, "He's not here to cause trouble, he's here to ask if the cooperative is still going to be run? The people are waiting, we can't give up halfway."

Yang Fan's Adam's apple bobbed.

Wu Xiang lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Where is he?"

"They're gone. I persuaded them to go back, saying that the township government would give them an explanation sooner or later."

Wu Xiang stubbed out his cigarette and threw it in the trash can. "Then tomorrow!"

He turned to look at Yang Fan. "Mayor Yang, what are you saying?"

Yang Fan stood in the courtyard, looking out over the wall. The mountains of Qingping became silhouettes in the twilight. The lights were on in Hengtong's factory, and the tea gardens at the foot of the mountain were covered with a thin layer of frost.

"The cooperative cannot stop."

Wu Xiang nodded. "Okay."

"Keep supplying materials; give them whatever they want. Keep dragging it out until they have nothing left to ask for."

"OK."

"There's a meeting in the villages tomorrow. All the village secretaries from Laowangzhuang, Lijia Kiln, Yangjiagou, and the other three villages are to come. We need to make it clear face-to-face—the cooperative isn't something the township wants to set up; it's something the villagers want to set up themselves. Investment is voluntary, and withdrawal is also voluntary. Those who are willing to participate will receive full support from the township! Those who aren't willing won't be forced!"

Yang Fan turned to look at Zhao Dayong. "Mayor Zhao, could you make a trip tonight and notify all the villages about tomorrow's meeting? Tell them to bring the list of shareholders."

Zhao Dayong responded and turned to leave.

Only Yang Fan and Wu Xiang remained in the courtyard.

Wu Xiang took out a cigarette and offered one to Yang Fan. Yang Fan took it but didn't light it.

"Mayor Yang."

"Um."

"Tell me, who exactly is blocking us?"

Yang Fan looked at the lights at the foot of the mountain.

"Secretary, no matter who it is, we only have one path—the right path. As long as we don't go astray, the people who are blocking you won't be able to stand up to it."

Wu Xiang lit a cigarette and took a drag. The smoke dissipated in the twilight.

"Okay, whatever you say."

The two stood in the yard for a while. The old yellow dog got up from the gatehouse, wagged its tail, and then lay back down.

The next morning, the township government meeting room was packed with people.

A row of enamel mugs were laid out, but no one was in the mood for tea. All the village secretaries from the nine villages were present, and a thick stack of shareholder rosters was spread out on the table.

Wu Xiang got straight to the point. "Everyone should have heard that the cooperative has been ordered to halt its investigation by the county agricultural commission."

There was a buzzing sound from below.

"The reason for the investigation is not that there is a problem with the cooperative. It's that someone doesn't want Qingping to get things done."

He scanned the area.

"I've called everyone here today for one thing—to go through the shareholder roster for each village, household by household. Those who are willing to participate, sign and affix your fingerprints. Those who are unwilling to participate, withdraw your shares on the spot; the township won't stop you."

Wu Xiang lit a cigarette. "Let's begin."

Old Liu, the village secretary of Laowangzhuang, stood up, opened the roster, and read it from the beginning.

"Liu Decai, three mu of orchard, willing to invest."

"Liu Decai agrees."

Xiao Chen was taking notes.

"Liu Erxi, with two mu of walnut grove, is willing to invest."

"Liu Erxi agrees."

When he read out "Qin Dafu", Lao Liu paused for a moment.

"Qin Dafu, owner of a five-mu orchard, is applying to withdraw his investment."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Wu Xiang said, "Approval."

Old Liu continued reading.

Yangjiagou, Lijia Kiln, Zhaojiaping, Wangjiaping... nine villages, one household at a time. Some were willing, some declined; more were willing, fewer declined.

When the name of Wang Defa from Wangjiaping was read, Lao Geng stood up and read it for him.

"Wang Defa, three mu of walnut grove, is willing to invest."

Old Geng added, "Wang Defa asked me to pass on a message—he said that Township Head Yang spoke with him last year. He trusts Township Head Yang. He'll work on the cooperative as long as it lasts."

Yang Fan didn't speak, but his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

By the time the roster was finished, it was already afternoon. Over 90% were willing to work, while less than 10% withdrew their shares.

Wu Xiang stood up. "Alright, leave the roster in the township. We'll provide whatever the reviewer needs. Those who withdraw their shares won't receive dividends from the cooperative, but the township will still buy the mountain delicacies and apples as usual. Those who have invested will receive dividends according to their shares after the review is completed."

He paused. "Meeting adjourned."

Everyone stood up, the chair legs creaking and groaning as they scraped against the ground.

Old Geng walked to the door and turned around.

"Secretary Wu, Township Head Yang, what if the cooperative can't be established—"

Yang Fan said, "It can be done!"

Old Geng stared at him for two seconds, nodded, and turned to leave.

The review was delayed for another week.

On the morning of the seventh day, Yang Fan was going through materials in his office when Xiao Chen pushed the door open and came in with an indescribable expression on his face.

"Mayor Yang, someone is looking for you outside."

"who."

"They say it's... from the Jingzhou Ruilong Group, and the person's surname is Zhao."

Yang Fan closed the document.

Jingzhou, Ruilong Group.

Damn it, Zhao Ruilong! This is just the beginning.

No wonder they went to such great lengths for such a small project!

He stood up and walked to the window.

A black Audi was parked in the yard, its license plate starting with 京A. The car was spotless, unlike one that had been driven all the way from Jingzhou—it looked more like it had been transferred in the city or flown in directly.

The car door opened, and a young man in a striped suit with slicked-back hair got out. He looked up at the sign for the township government.

Yang Fan put the enamel mug down.

Ruilong Group.

No wonder his father got dragged into this mess!

That's really an ugly thing to do!